Ranked #2 on the American Film Institute's list of the 10 greatest films in the genre "Western" in June 2008.
The 1980s were a tumultuous time in Poland. Workers' strikes in Gdansk led to the formation of the Solidarity movement. In 1980 Lech Walesa was elected chairman of this reform movement. The red and white Solidarity logo became an international icon that literally wrapped itself around the city, creating a visual momentum that lead to a political revolution. Once again, posters played a pivotal role in defining the future. In 1989, the day before the country was to vote on the political future of Poland, a poster featuring an image of Gary Cooper from this film was plastered on kiosks and walls around the country. This landmark image of the famous actor strolling towards the viewer depicted him carrying not a gun, but a voting ballot, and wearing a Solidarity logo above his sheriff's badge that read, "It's high noon, June 4, 1989." As Frank Fox, former professor of Eastern European History, stated, "Indeed, an American Western was an apt symbol for a political duel that marked the beginning of the end of Communism in Eastern Europe. Gary Cooper would have approved."
The character of Will Kane was based on screenwriter Carl Foreman.
The character played by Gary Cooper was originally named Will Doane. The name was changed to Will Kane because co-star Katy Jurado had difficulty pronouncing the name Will Doane.
The film is set in Hadleyville, population 650, in the New Mexico Territory, on a hot summer Sunday. The 37-star flag the judge removes as he prepares to flee shows that the time frame is sometime between Nebraska's admission as the 37th state on March 1, 1867 and Colorado's admission as the 38th state on August 1, 1876.
The movie is often described as "a western for people who don't like westerns".
The picture takes place between 10:35 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. slightly longer than the 84 minute running time.
The steady drum beat signifying confrontation in Frankie Laine's recording of "High Noon" was later employed by Roy Orbison in his 1961 signature hit, "Runnin' Scared".
The wife of Sam, Harry Morgan's character, was named Mildred. In M*A*S*H, Morgan's character, Col. Sherman Potter, also had a wife named Mildred.
There was some question as to the casting of Gary Cooper, since he was 50 and Grace Kelly, playing his wife, was only 21.
They only took between 1-3 takes per scene.
They used little to no makeup on the face of Gary Cooper, to show his lines and show how worried he was.
This film was intended as an allegory in Hollywood for the failure of Hollywood people to stand up to the House Un-American Activities Committee during the Sen. Joseph McCarthy Red-baiting era.
This movie is rumored to be able to be viewed in real time. Several shots of clocks are interspersed throughout the film and they correspond with actual minutes ticking by.
Though supposed to be the older man, at 45 Lon Chaney Jr. was actually five years younger than Gary Cooper.
Until his death, director Fred Zinnemann fought not to have this film colorized, saying that he designed it in black and white and that it should be shown that way. He was unsuccessful, however. A colorized version was made by Ted Turner's television production company and was broadcast several times over his several cable outlets.
Writer Carl Foreman was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee shortly after the film came out. In fact, he had fled to England by the time the film was finished.
And speaking of "REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE," the rebellious teenagers from that 1955 film attended "Dawson High," which was supposed to be located at "University & 10th." In fact, the campus was really Santa Monica High School, located at Pico Boulevard & 4th Street in Santa Monica.
In High Noon, Gary Cooper's character (Marshal Will Kane) is betrayed by all the "good" men in town who will not take up arms for a just cause. Carl Foreman (screenplay and uncredited producer) stated that High Noon was intended as an allegory of the contemporary failure of intellectuals to combat the rise of McCarthyism, as well as how people in Hollywood had remained silent while their peers were blacklisted. The film has also been embraced by those who, like Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, admire its emphasis on duty and courage.